Monday, March 17, 2014

School’s decision to change Redmen name has everybody talking

By Andrea L.

Ever since the announcement that, starting this upcoming school year, Western Canada High School will change the name and logo of the Redmen, opposition has made itself known. Loudly.

The announcement came this past Thursday near the end of Period 3. The school has been in talks since this past August with the Calgary Board of Education, with Council of Elders, with parents and teachers, and reached the conclusion that the use of the word Redmen, coupled with the logo depicting an aboriginal man with braids and feathers on his hair, is disrespectful and potentially offensive. The school plans to have all references to the name and logos removed from uniforms, website, and the school gym by the beginning of the next school year. The CBE has offered to help shoulder the financial burden of the renovations.

The responses against this move made themselves known swiftly. Two handwritten posters appeared Friday morning in the hallway in front of the Career Centre’s billboard. One of them claimed that the name “is a point of pride for us -- not a derogatory insult” and, paradoxically, implied that removing the name was like “pretending discrimination doesn’t happen.” The second poster invited readers to “stand up for our heritage” and implied that an association with “some of history’s most industrious, environmentally-friendly people” is a point of pride for the school. Both posters had been taken down before the end of the day.

They were far from the only ones. The number of student athletes proudly wearing hoodies and jerseys bearing the Redmen logo doubled overnight. A Facebook group, Keep Western Canada Redmen, was founded. It currently has over 1300 members, consisting mostly of students both current and past. Posts in the page claim to be planning an e-mail and letter writing campaign directed towards Area Director Calvin Davies and the CBE Board of Trustees. Western Canada alumni and famous former football player Norman Kwong expressed his distaste for the change to the Calgary Herald, and announced that he would write to Davies and ask him to reconsider.

Western Canada is not the first school, nor the first Redmen sports team, to ever need rebrand itself to a less racially charged name or logo, and it will not be the last. Just a week before Western, a high school in Saskatoon, also nicknamed the Redmen, announced their own name change. Many aboriginal groups across North America have campaigned against the use of Native Americans as mascots and the use of slurs in team names. Most notably, a campaign by the National Congress of American Indians against NFL’s Washington Redskins has attracted national attention in the United States, to the point that even President Obama commented on it.

The argument behind this movement is that names like “Redskins” and “Redmen” have been and continue to be used as slurs against Native Americans. Even if it is done unintentionally, to use the name, to wear the logo, does not result in a connection with First Nation peoples, but rather with the history of abuse and discrimination that they have suffered. They claim that it is time for people to move past outdated stereotypes that are damaging for First Nations communities. While the CBE was not approached by one of these groups, and chose to act preemptively, the sentiment stands.

Meanwhile, the members of the “Keep Western Canada Redmen” Facebook page express a variety of reasons behind their support of the name. The comments on the page range from those who are concerned for the monetary cost of such a move, to those offended that the student body was not consulted before the decision, to those who criticize what they perceive as excessive political correctness by the CBE, to the occasional openly racist comment. Behind most of these opinions, however, there is an undercurrent of pride for the history of the school and concern for how changing their name will affect their identity as student athletes and alumni.

The issue of names, logos, and mascots referencing ethnic communities is one that goes beyond Western Canada High School and affects current North American society. The CBE’s willingness to accommodate others might be best exemplified by a quote from the editor of the Slate magazine, explaining why they will no longer use the term Redskins. “Changing the way we talk is not political correctness run amok,” he writes. “It reflects an admirable willingness to acknowledge others who once were barely visible to the dominant culture, and to recognize that something that may seem innocent to you may be painful to others.”

More on this subject:



Tips to become more involved.

By: Nicole M.

Western Canada is one of Calgary’s biggest schools, with over 2000 students and multiple clubs going on all at the same time, the concept of getting involved seems overwhelming. However the bigger the school, the more options that are available to you! Here are a few tips on how to get involved at Western Canada.
  1. Don’t be afraid to make new friends, especially make friends in classes that you enjoy. They might have information on programs and clubs that might interest you. Also if they are a part of a club it will become easier for you to join since you know someone who belongs to it.
  2. Show up at Club Day! Western Canada has so many clubs that they use up the entire gym to promote them. So why not take that opportunity to see what the school has to offer and choose from there !
  3. Visit the career center! The career center is filled with many opportunities that could help you become involved at school but also activities that could benefit your career.  The center is also in constant contact with school and universities therefore they are constantly updated on programs and affairs.
  4. Ask your teachers about extra-curricular activities that are available, maybe they know about programs that maybe weren’t mentioned. Also they may be quick to alert you about the most recent opportunities regarding the subject they teach,
  5. Keep your eyes open! Opportunities present themselves all along Western’s walls, maybe the next time you go to the bathroom take a look around all the walls. The walls frequently have posters that reflect upcoming events and activities.
  6. Keep an open mind! Sometimes clubs and activities may not necessarily appeal to our taste but give it a try. There is no consequence for not liking something, but there is a consequence if you don’t try. Just stay focused on what you like and experiment with what you aren’t sure of.
Here are a couple tips to help you become more involved in Western Canada’s community. Becoming involved gives you more opportunities to make new friends and they can help you develop leadership attributes and create a wonderful resume.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

$25, 000 raised for cancer research

By: Maria M.

Almost everybody has been touched by the incurable cancer; it is due to that, that on March 6th 2014, many of the students that attended Western Canada High School hosted an incredible head shave charity event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Thanks to the generous help of the Husky Steering Committee and the talented direction of many of the Leadership students involved, an astounding $25, 000 was raised. The entirety of this money will be placed directly into the hands of those working towards research and patient programs.

The Western Canada High School head shave took place with Global News’s Gord Gillies volunteering as the MC and with Western Canada’s very own Jam Club taking courteously participation in providing music for the event as well as graciously donating some hair. With supportive peers enthusiastically cheering on from the bleachers, the brave Shavees step up to their chairs, some nervous, some eager, some both for the dramatic change in appearance that was about to take place in them. Many found consolation with the fact that what they were doing was going to be unselfishly helping out the fundraiser raise the funds goal they were striving for. Several of Students involved selflessly sacrificed their beloved locks, some as far as donating up to two feet or longer of hair which will be made into wigs that will benefit those in the community who were part of the reason for this fundraiser.

One of Western’s many talented and generous students, was Orin Markle, who himself was diagnosed with cancer in November of this past year. With his kind and caring friend Arthur, they did many different types of fundraising which in total themselves; they managed to raise $5,800. Orin and his friend attended the event; they were elated with how excited everyone was so eagerly willing to donate their hair, for a cause that meant so much to him and many others.

It was outstanding to see the amount of people who not only showed up, but who volunteered time and donated money, refreshments and photography, media coverage, handled all the donations, kept up on the totals making the public aware. Could you imagine the impact of such an amazing event on those not even attending when they were made aware of the twenty five thousand dollars that was raised and donated to help such a worth and deserving cause.

I truly believe that if the whole world had the good heart and the generosity of all those involved in this event that we as a society would be such a better place. Imagine all the other charities if so successful how much good we would be able to accomplish.  I personally have felt the tragedy of losing someone to cancer; but even without this I found myself being incredibly moved by the overwhelming love and generosity of all those involved and know the in the future I will be more aware and more involved with helping others.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Illusion of Us

By:Gerard M.

It would be false to say that our generation no longer discusses the state of our world, recite Whitman, or study Keynes and Aristotle – but the vital change lies in our capacity for action. In Walden, Thoreau writes: “When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanence and absolute existence, that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadows of the reality.” It’s a shame that the word “unhurried” no longer exists in the lexicon of our generation. Perhaps “wise” will be the next to go, and afterward we will be left petty under our fears and pleasures.

Titanic growth and innovation in digital technology has rendered us inseparable from our screens. According to a recent report from the United Nations, more people have mobile phones than access to a flush toilet – by a margin of 2.5 million. The alarming universality of access to this brave new digital world means that we have the ability to be constantly connected, constantly gripped by words and images contrived from pixels. On one hand, we no longer have to flip through volumes at the library or peruse the small print of newspapers to access information. But on the other hand, the permanent presence of social networks, games and applications on our phones and computers makes it easier than ever before to waste hours on text messaging, cyber interaction, and achieving new high scores. We love to be entertained, and we yearn for it like junkies because feeling good has never been made so easy. We do not have to consider moral consequences when watching The Bachelor, liking posts on Instagram or playing Flappy Bird. The hours are more easily passed because entertainment does not demand active engagement. We only have to sit in front of our screens with blank minds, go through the motions, and smile at the captivating colours.

The appeal of social media and networking is that they feed our desire to be noticed, to be awarded attention; it is the self-contradicting idea that we must fit in with the masses, yet at the same time boldly asserting our individuality. This mentality is vital to the denial of morality by our generation, as the combination of permanent access to the digital world and the relentless bombardment from the entertainment industry provides the incentive and the answer to our desire to be extraordinary. We adore celebrities because they inspire imitation and present possibilities – we are obsessed with the idea that celebrities are normal people. Reality shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians want us to believe that celebrities deal with the same things we do – grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, making dinner – and allow us to “relate” to them, while shows like American Idol tell us that any ordinary person can become a star. Each individual, then, is able to find a personal connection – a song lyric, a hairstyle, a brand of perfume – that makes him or her stand out. We create for ourselves the illusion of individuality and potential. Entertainment conditions and encourages our inner narcissists, making us believe that we are all special, worthy of praise, deserving of celebrity status – that what we have to say is important.

Social networking has given us the platform upon which we can express and assert our individuality. Places like Facebook and Twitter ask us the blaring question: WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? In this way, we are invited to share our every thought, every moment, and are given the ability to meticulously engineer our own digital personalities. It is much easier to edit our Facebook profiles than to assess our personal shortcomings, and in the digital world, these shortcomings can simply be hidden, glossed over, denied. In this sense, when we interact through social networks, we do not interact with each other, but with perfected projections. Through features such as “likes”, “retweets” and comments, we can receive the attention that we believe we deserve. We are addicted to social networks because they give us praise and recognition for saying irrelevant and uneducated things, posting provocative or self-indulgent photos, or for the ever-so-classy “Like for a TBH.”  We have become so obsessed with being heard that we have stopped considering if what we are saying truly needs to be said.

The narcissism which has been conditioned into our very nature, and the easy gratification of this narcissism by entertainment and social media, is the foundation of our moral and social apathy. The issue is not whether or not we choose to care, but whether or not we realize that we should. We have forgotten moral consciousness – that we must consider the consequences of our words and actions, that we are a part of society which extends beyond personal pleasures.  Without moral consciousness, there is no education, and without education, there is no future.

Education is no longer the keystone to civilization. Its necessity has been undermined by a culture which endorses blind comfort, and taking the easiest way. To deserve the attention of students, the teacher, material, and environment must not only inform, but more importantly, entertain. Anything deemed “boring” is not worth our time. We fall asleep leaning on windows, we flip through Twitter feeds, or simply stare into space. Thinking has become work, and work has become undeserved punishment. We attend school because we have to, not to enhance our understanding of the world and better our moral being. We form opinions not upon research and moral consideration, but upon unfounded arrogance and generalizations. We antagonize those who refuse to comply with our laziness, those who give us not the grades we believe to be entitled to, but the grades which reflect our effort. We blame those who push us to work harder. We attack feverishly those who disagree with our uninformed yet assertive thoughts, those who point out our hypocrisy. We ostentatiously vocalize our discontent regarding things we are too lazy to understand. But how can we begin to consider morality when we can no longer find in ourselves the timeless desire for truth? We have let down the children behind the barricades of the French Revolution, in front of the tanks of Tiananmen Square, and under the fires of the Arab Spring. To be entertained, to receive what we want and deserve, to gratify every itching inclination, and to be blissfully ignorant of the consequences – for us, that is enough.

We have built for ourselves a world of illusions, in which we are all celebrities, deserving of praise and attention; in which we are entitled to anything and everything; in which we expect to be forever entertained; in which we aspire to greatness while doing nothing. But this is not the real world. The real world moves on without us, abandoned by a generation trapped in our beautiful projections, Hollywood dramas and Starbucks Coffee. Abandoned by we who want so much yet do so little –

We, who are the greatest illusion of all.

Monday, March 10, 2014

The Wind Rises Review

By Lucas L.

The Wind Rises is among Miyazaki’s best.

Hayao Miyazaki has claimed this is is his last film, which is sad, but is definitely worthy of the title ‘Swan Song’. The Wind Rises  follows the life of Jiro Horikoshi, a famous Japanese designer who designed several of the Japanese fighter planes in World War II. It’s a very serious topic compared to Miyazaki’s previous efforts, yet it manages to over shine many much of his previous work.

For those who do not know, Hayao Miyazaki is arguably one of the greatest animation directors of all time. He has directed such films as My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away. He has mastered his craft in previous years, but the material here is what shines. In a sense, the credit should be given to the writing, which is stupendous and very well done. There’s a serious story here, but it also combines some classic Japanese charm. It never over complicates the design aspect of planes or over simplifies it either.  There’s a fine line The Wind Rises walks, but it does so quite well.

The animation is amazing. This film is beautifully visualized. The dream sequences are stunning and incredible. The artists did something here where they realized a three dimensional world in a two dimensional plane. There is a foreground and background and shading is quite well done. I’m no expert in this area, but it looks great, you wouldn’t be disappointed in that aspect of the film.

But that isn’t to say that The Wind Rises is without it’s flaws. It is roughly fifteen minutes too long. Unfortunately, Miyazaki clearly wanted to show a lot of film, but there’s a point where the viewer will be bored. There is a chance you might check your phone once in a while. Another issue with the film is the undeveloped secondary characters, something that happens frequently in animated films such as this. Usually those characters are there to provide laughs or help our hero on his journey, but they serve no other purpose. It’s hard to care for them when we learn nothing about them.

The acting is decent enough. Joseph Gordon-Levitt voices our hero Jiro, and does so with elegance. However I was always taken aback when Jiro talked and perhaps there was a better actor in the wings. Regardless, he does a fine job but he isn’t the reason you should see this movie.
This film is a beautiful piece of art from a master in his craft. This is his swan song, and he leaves us with a great work. There are certain things that could have been worked differently, but his passion for this project and attention to detail has not gone unnoticed.

If you like anime or animation or good stories, watch The Wind Rises. Otherwise, skip this one, but be sure to see Spirited Away. It his arguably his best film and one of the best animated films of all time. The Wind Rises reached my expectations, but never surpassed them. That being said, my expectations were very high and it hit them, which is quite a feat. Congratulations to Mr. Miyazaki and his very long and incredible career. Your retirement is a sad day in film, but an understandable one. Your legacy will forever remain as one of the greatest visionary and creative directors of all time.

Rating: 8.5/10

Why we should not judge each other

By: Sanna N.

Judgement, the act of forming an objective opinion on a person based on their appearance or behaviour. This is highly prevalent in society and plays a significant role in everyone’s daily lives, whether they realize it or not. The first thing people do when they lay eyes on another person is judge them. They sum the person up and evaluate who they are. This is done either consciously or sub-consciously and only takes a matter of seconds. After the person views them, they reach a conclusion based on the information they have taken in.

Now this alone is an unnerving thought and is in many cases the cause of social anxiety and other social issues. Many people feel insecure, they let what other people think of them dominate their lives and their appearance and gaining social approval becomes their primary concern. Appearance is almost everything and the sole reason that it holds so much value is because people judge one another. People become so paranoid and preoccupied with being perceived in a positive way by others and this is in many ways unhealthy for both the people and society itself.

The negative impacts of this on people and society are endless. As said previously, people feel insecure and begin to become overly concerned with their looks. This can reach the point of becoming unhealthy and lead to a wide array of social issues and disorders. The pressure of being judged by can become too much for some and may lead to unhealthy habits. These may include body dimorphic disorder, which may lead to excessive plastic surgery, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, excessive exercise, muscle dimorphic disorder or “bigorexia”. Apart from physical disorders, mental disorders such as social anxiety and social phobias may also arise from this.

This act of judging is not only limited to humans. Animals use this as well in order to evaluate their surroundings and spot potential danger. It is a necessary survival technique which can help them when hunting so that they may evaluate potential prey and predators and decide whether they pose a threat.  Humans have just taken this basic instinct and turned it self-destructive.

Speaking of how this instinct extends beyond humans, it also extends beyond appearances. Behavior is also judged, both in the animal and human world. The way you talk, walk, your facial expressions, everything. This is also a daunting thought, because being judged on appearance wasn’t enough.

Given all of this it can be concluded that judgement is indeed negative, with, aside from the safety and survival aspects of it, no real positive impacts. It is emotionally detrimental to people and society as the pressure of judgement and feelings of inadequacy that come with it truly do make it difficult for individuals to reach their full potential and accomplish their goals.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Jared Leto Gives Refreshing Acceptance Speech; Message For All The Dreamers Out There

By: Anthony L.

When Oscar Sunday rolled around, there were three categories which possessed locks; Alfonso Cuaron for Best Director, Cate Blanchett for Best Actress, and Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor. So, sure enough, when the Oscars came, all three of them won. But, Jared Leto, perhaps, was the most deserving of his award.

Leto, who starred in Jean-Marc VallĂ©e’s ‘Dallas Buyers Club,’ a story about Ron Woodroof, a homophobe-turned-AIDS supporter. The film itself benefits from great casting, including Matthew Mcconaughey, who gives the performances of his career; shedding 40 pounds just to play the role. But along with Mcconaughey’s performance was a jaw dropping performance from Jared Leto who played Rayon, a transgender woman who accompanies Woodroof on his journey to fight AIDS.

The highlight for Leto, though, took part on Oscar sunday, when he accepted his trophy for Best Supporting Actor. He started his speech in thanking his family, like many Oscar speeches begin with.
"She [Leto’s Mother] encouraged her kids to be creative, to work hard and to do something special. That girl is my mother and she’s here tonight. And I just want to say, I love you, Mom” Leto said.

But, not long after this, he took an unexpected turn in his speech. The closing of his speech, though, proved to be the most powerful.
 “And this is for the 36 million people who have lost the battle to Aids and to those of you out there who have ever felt injustice because of who you are or who you love, tonight I stand here in front of the world with you and for you. Thank you so much and goodnight."

Later on, his Co-star Matthew Mcconaughey claimed the Oscar for Best Actor, giving an equally compelling, and moving speech. But, on a night which consisted of relatively cliched and dry speeches, Leto’s beautiful dedication, along with his striking mixture of politics, and veneration provided the show with an exuberant start.

“To all the dreamers out there around the world watching this tonight …” Leto said.

“ I want to say we are here and as you struggle to… to make your dreams happen, to live the impossible… We’re thinking of you tonight.”


Monday, March 3, 2014

Danish Exchange

By: Maja D.

On April 24th 19 students from Denmark will visit Calgary to attend the International Youth Leadership Summit that will take place at Robert Thirsk High school from April 24-26. April 27 they will have the day of with their host families. April 28 they will come visit Western Canada High School to learn more about the Canadian school system and experience a high school. For a lot of the Danish students that’s a big experience because the Danish school system is different than the Canadian so the only experience they have with the high school culture is what they have seen in American movies.

Not a lot of Danish students gets the opportunity to visit a Canadian high school so it will probably be a experience they will never forget. Also the Canadian culture is quit different from the Danish so hopefully they will get an insight in the Canadian culture when they stay with their host families. On April 29th they will get a tour around the city where Mr. McGuinness and Mrs. Muhlberger will show them around and go for lunch at the Danish cultural club. April 29 they will go for a 3 days trip to Banff. The Canadian landscape is also really different from the Denmark. The mountains are something the students are used to seeing either. The students will leave Canada May 2.

Western Canada High School is looking for host families for the Danish students. It would be a great opportunity for you to get to learn more about the Danish Culture while you are showing your new Danish friends the Canadian culture. If you are hosting you would usually have two students to stay at your house if your family only have room for one that can be arranged too. If you are interested in being a host Family for the Danish students please go to Mr. McGuinness for more information.

There will also be a tour to Denmark in October 2014. Grade 10 and 11 students are invited to join the tour where you will get the opportunity to go experience the Danish culture and their school system. The students who choose to host will be given priority when selecting students to travel abroad to Denmark. It would be great experience to travel to Denmark and learn about the Danish culture. You will be visiting the Danish Capital Copenhagen too, which is a really nice city famous for it’s history, pretty buildings and fashion. Copenhagen is on the biggest Island in Denmark so it has the ocean around and a view to Sweden. See Mr. McGuinness to apply to travel to Denmark ASAP.